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We've become obsessed with THIS

There are certainly many perks to using our smart phones. How convenient is it to be able to check the weather, our email, or our home (remotely via our home security app) through these small yet highly sophisticated devices while on the go?

However, cell phone use has infiltrated our lives in a way most of the phone manufacturers probably never imagined. We take the phones with us to the bathroom, use them while eating dinner and conversing with people and -- worst of all -- while driving.

Cell phones have made our lives easier in myriad ways while making society far more impersonal. These days, wishing people a Happy Birthday via Facebook has supplanted the more traditional methods of calling by phone or sending someone a card in the mail.

But when phones become so intrusive as to disrupt family time, that's when you know we've taken our usage of them to a whole new level. My wife often uses her while we're watching movies in the living room, resulting in my admonishing her to put the phone down and pay attention.

We should be firmly in control of technology, but sometimes it seems like it's the other way around: technology is in the driver's seat, not human beings. With social media being all the rage these days, people can't help but check their Facebook status every few minutes, whether they're at work or in church.

While the perks of smart phones can't be overstated, we need to learn to put the phone down in certain situations. Otherwise, we'll continue to see people getting into car accidents, being suspended from school, and other unfavorable outcomes. As with everything else in life, cell phones should be used in moderation. 

They won't control us unless we allow them to.

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